Vallejo paint thinning / airbrush cleaning questions...

ok i know this is an old post but i still see the thinning question popping up all over so i will throw my bit in here.

can you spray vallejo model color?  yes i do it all the time along with the vallejo game color.

how to thin it?  that is difficult to answer as each color is different in the pigment dept but let me just say this i wish the milk consistency thing would get dropped that is a sick joke seeing as in my experience the majority of people asking the thinnign question are using a .5mm nozzle in their brush and milk like consistency yields to thin of a paint when sprayed and i have tried between 5 and 20psi using my little sparmax mini airstream compressor and iwata revolution HP-CR airbrush.

now i have been spraying the model and game colors on everythign from 1/35 scale military armor models doing camoflauge to most recently ( withing the last few days) 15mm Flames of War gaming miniatures ( tanks the size of a zippo lighter for those that dont know what 15mm minis are) and the routine is always the exact same and that is trial and error, my suggetion is to use 5 drops of paint and then add 1 drop at a time then test after each drop till you know what will work.  ( example sing 70.879 green brown vallejo model color @20psi i use 10 drops of paint to 7 or 8 drops of vallejo airbrush thinner ( substitues for the thinner are windex/water mix or plain water (side note FYI the vallejo airbrush thinner is in fact windex just smell it sometime LOL), while when using model color 70.979 german cam dark green the drop ratio of thinner to pigment is different.

moral of the story?  thinning of the paint is not a one size fits all type of affair, nozzle size paint color/pigment), PSI, and how heavy fingered you are on the trigger all play a part so best advice is to just trial and test till you get what works for you and if you are forgetful write it down on a chart listing the nozzle size, color and how many drops of thinner to paint you used with that you will have a formula plus or minus a drop or 2 of thinner to use when you spray throught your airbrush

I  thin using Vallejo thinner or 20 to 1 water and liquitex flow aid.  I clean by Vallejo air brush cleaner (incredible) or soap and hot water in an ultrasonic cleaner (I still use their cleaner if it's too dirty).  You can spray model color thru a wide nozzle  (i.e. 0.4 mm) if heavily thinned (at least 1 to 1) but is intended for brush use.  I still thin model air, usually 1/3 thinner to 2/3 paint.  Do NOT use alcohol for thinning or cleaning.

Just my 2 bits

don't use lacquer thinner and vallejo! it will gum it all up, literally! Clean up with windex or simple green. Either work great

Hokey - Jeepers, curdling using lacquer thinner? I've never experienced that before, I use lacquer thinner exclusively for cleaning the airbrush after use, no matter what the paint was.

1) Had you used that batch of thinner before and found it satisfactory for other uses?

2) When you say curdling, did it just get sort of muddled, like a light salad dressing? And did it clean the airbrush eventually?

3) Had the paint been in the airbrush for any appreciable time, like a few hours?

4) If the brush sat for a while before cleaning attempts, I suppose rather than just dissolving the paint and appearing as a smoothly blended colored liquid, the paint may have seemed to be somewhat stringy and to have texture.

I'd reason that the answer will be known by determing: Did the brush end up well cleaned following normal successive cleaning procedures? If it did eventually clean up well, I'd refer back to the above sentence.

If it was actually curdled, I would expect it to have looked like Vallejo does when mixed with alcohol, a big gummy mess, sort of rubbery. If you had experienced that, you would have been cleaning the AB for quite a while.

Please check back in, I'd like to hear your additional input. That could be a help to many others, me included.

Patrick 

patrick206

For cleaning airbrushes after using Model Air I spray water first, then lacquer thinner. I've read several times that alcohol will curdle Vallejo into a really ugly, thick glob, very difficult to get it all cleaned up then. Spraying the Vallejo thinner would likely get it clean, but that's a lot more pricey than lacquer thinner. Good luck with the project.

Patrick    

Patrick

I just tried to clean Vallejo Model Air white with Laquer thinner and curdled big time! Any thoughts?

All;

I airbrush model color (usually just the white and black, but occasionally some grey) and it works fine BUT yes you must thin it out.  Thinning is just half the equation; the other half is the air pressure.  I use a couple of drops of Flo-Aid from Liquitex also plus distilled water and then the paint.  The water to paint ratio is 50/50.  Maybe a little more water for the black as the pigment seems thicker.  I spray the model color at no less than 20 psi.  I have never tried to spray model color down at like 10 psi for detail work though.  As with the model air, I build up the coats gradually.  Hope that helps.

John

Heh - To be honest, I'm nervous to try airbrushing with Vallejo but I'm not gonna know it turns out unless I try.

214 - As I said I've never tried airbrushing Model Color, but have read that it works OK, some have reported the texture is not quite the same as Model Air. I guess maybe the major difference is that one lends itself better for spraying, the other for brushing, but either can evidently be used satisfactorily.

If someone has been using Model Color for airbrushing, how about shedding some first hand knowledge on the subject???

If one is going to clear coat, texture becomes perhaps a non issue. For what it's worth I have been using Vallejo for a couple of years, extremely happy with it and I like the wide range of system products available. Go ahead and use it with confidence, I'll bet it will do the job just fine.

Patrick

I did a little bit of research on Vallejo's website and found the thinner I have can be used to thin paint and for airbrush uses as well. Here's the link:

www.acrylicosvallejo.com/.../3

Now I'm ready to go. LOL!

I have use Model color in my airbrush a few times.  It just has to be thinned out like thin milk.  I use Vallejo airbush thinner to thin the paint.  I use Medea airbrush cleaner to  clean my airbrush afterwards.  It cleans up just fine.  I believe any airbrush cleaner for acrylic paints would work just fine to clean up Vallejo acrylic paints

You have the correct stuff. The Vallejo thinner medium works well. I put a drop or two of liquitex flow aid in the paint cup, for good measure. That stuff works good in all acrylics. You can use distilled water instead of the thinner medium, but it's not as good in my experience. You are right..do not use alcohol. It makes a mess and you'll be cleaning your brush for a while. I use laquer thinner to clean my brushes no matter what paint I use.

214 - I checked my Vallejo stash, I have only "Airbrush Thinner," nothing marked airbrush thinner medium. I do have "Retarder Medium," is that possibly what you have? If so it's quite thick, unsuitable for thinning paint, it's only for slowing the drying time of the paint, and perhaps reduce the tip dry effect.

Wherever you bought the products should be able to assist you, in getting the proper items needed for intended use.

Patrick

214 - Vallejo Model Air is formulated for airbrush application, the Model Color is primarily intended for paint brush use. I use both, excellent products that work very well. I have read a few times that Model Color will airbrush OK, but will require a good bit of thinning it seems. Some have said that Model Color airbrushed has a bit more of a texture, possibly the solids are not as finely ground as Model Air. Never tried airbrushing Model Color myself, so only 2nd hand info at best.

For cleaning airbrushes after using Model Air I spray water first, then lacquer thinner. I've read several times that alcohol will curdle Vallejo into a really ugly, thick glob, very difficult to get it all cleaned up then. Spraying the Vallejo thinner would likely get it clean, but that's a lot more pricey than lacquer thinner. Good luck with the project.

Patrick